Twitter reacts to government’s announcement that it has ‘hit’ its testing target

Twitter has reacted with an outburst of mockery at the government’s announcement that it has hit its testing target.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock hailed the “incredible achievement” of hitting 100,000 Covid-19 tests per day at yesterday’s media briefing.

But according to new revelations the number included unanlysed tests that had simply been sent out, with just 73,191 actually completed.

According to one government source, the ramping up of tests amounts to little more than “just a massive one-day mission on the part of Amazon and the Royal Mail”.

Prof John Newton, National Coordinator of the UK Coronavirus Testing Programme, said “here’s been no change to the way tests are counted”, but that didn’t stop a widespread Twitter reaction breaking out.

We’ve picked out some of the best:

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Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.